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Brandman University, a member of the Greater Irvine Chamber since 1998, has joined the Chamber’s Leaders Circle as a gold-level sponsor.
“Brandman University couldn’t be more aligned with the mission of the Greater Irvine Chamber. We both help companies recruit and retain highly skilled employees. The Chamber’s recent five-star rating, and our honors for innovation and leadership highlight our organizations’ commitment to excellence. And we both strive to be of service to grow and improve our thriving community. We are thrilled to partner with the Chamber and fellow members,” said Shelly Neal, vice chancellor of Strategic Initiatives, Brandman University.
Brandman University is...

For their high level of engagement representing the Greater Irvine Chamber as Ambassadors, the following individuals were selected as Ambassadors of the Month during the fourth quarter of 2018:
November - Johnny Tai, Mueller Prost CPAs & Business Advisors
December - Lorie Eber, Lorie Eber Wellness Coaching
The mission of the Ambassadors Committee is to actively promote and represent the Greater Irvine Chamber in the business community. This dynamic group takes the lead in welcoming new members to the Chamber and help existing members remain active and involved.
In addition regularly attending Chamber networking and signature events, Johnny Tai, business development, Mueller Prost, has become...

Greater Irvine Chamber Leaders Circle members Google and Kaiser Permanente as well as Chamber member Smile Brands, Inc. were ranked in the top 100 best places to work in a recent Glassdoor survey. Google is one of three companies that have made the list every year since its inception in 2009.
The Glassdoor survey breaks down its lists using company size:
50 Best Places to Work (honoring employers with 1,000 or more employees) and
50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work (honoring employers with fewer than 1,000 employees).
Glassdoor’s 100 Best Places to Work in 2019 list features winning employers hiring across a range of...

There are companies that do one thing well. There are companies that do a few things well.
Then there are the companies that do everything well.
This year, seven companies stand apart for scoring well beyond most of the pack in every one of the five categories that go into the Management Top 250, a ranking compiled by the Drucker Institute of the most effectively run major U.S. companies.
Those seven companies: Apple Inc., Intel Corp., Accenture PLC, Procter & Gamble Co., 3M Co., Nike Inc., and Greater Irvine Chamber Leaders Circle member Edwards Lifesciences Corp. As a group they aren’t the seven...

Global shopper spending has fallen by $15 billion in two years, with the Chinese now accounting for 40 percent of purchasing in travel retail.
The convenience factor and speed of the shopping experience means airport shops can’t compete with downtown outlets in categories attracting typically higher spends, according to Greater Irvine Chamber Leaders Circle member Horizon Consumer Science.
Responding to a question on the rise of liberalized tax and duty free regimes specifically in places like Hainan, China, Horizon founder Dr. Ian L. Cesa told TRBusiness: “[Airports] have decent prices, but they are not considered the best prices – outlet malls win...

Analysis of more than 115M Internet speed tests reveals that Irvine, California, has the best broadband in the country, with an average download speed of 124Mbps and an upload speed of 52Mbps.
Unsurprisingly, that was on Google Fiber, as were most of the top 10 cities, shown below.
Speed test company Ookla said that it calculated the rankings by using a weighted average of upload and download speeds.
When analyzing fastest ISPs, Ookla considers top providers (all ISPs with 3 percent or more of total test samples in the market for the period). The company then determines the fastest provider using Speed Score which...

Courtney Nakagawa, sales and event manager for Morton’s the Steakhouse, has been named the Greater Irvine Chamber October 2018 Member of the Month for her involvement in various Chamber events and committees.
In her six months as a Chamber member, Nakagawa has regularly attended Evening Business Exchanges and Emerging Business Leaders After Hours Mixers, as well as signature Chamber events such as Celebrate Irvine.
Nakagawa joined the Monday Leads Group soon after becoming a Chamber member, and quickly was asked to serve as the membership chair of the group. She also serves on the Women of Influence Committee where she assists with...

Recent travel trends underline a significant worldwide spending downturn that could have serious implications for the travel retail industry, says Greater Irvine Chamber Leaders Circle member Horizon Consumer Science.
The 2018 Global Traveler Report reveals that despite record numbers of air travelers, up from 415 million in 2012 to a projected 808 million this year, the size of the travel retail market is slowly shrinking.
Global travel retail spending has dropped by $15 billion from $397 billion in 2016 to a projected $382 billion this year.
About The 2018 Global Traveler Report: More than 31,000 traveling consumers from 38 countries have been surveyed...

For nearly 100 years, Easterseals has been an indispensable resource for individuals with developmental disabilities or other special needs and their families. Throughout all life’s moments – from the extraordinary to the ordinary and everything in between – Easterseals helps individuals reach for their full potential. In fact, Easterseals Southern California (ESSC), a Leaders Circle sponsor of the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce, now has over 2,500 employees serving over 10,000 clients daily.
In honor of its upcoming 100th anniversary, Easterseals will kick off a year-long celebration on January 1, 2019, with its first-ever float in the 2019 Rose Parade® presented by...

Greater Irvine Chamber Leaders Circle member Edwards Lifesciences Corp., Orange County’s largest public company with a nearly $30 billion market value, is also one of its fastest-growing public companies, both in sales and stock growth.
The Irvine-based medical device giant, which employs over 4,600 in OC, had two-year sales growth of 29 percent for the period ended June 30, with $3.5 billion in sales.
The percentage gain was fourth-best on this week’s Business Journal ranking of the fastest-growing large businesses.
More is in store, according to Chief Executive Michael Mussallem, who’s led Edwards since it became an independent company when spun out of...

Greater Irvine Chamber member Irvine Valley College was ranked third on the 2018-2019 list of Best Online Colleges in California created by the Community for Accredited Online Schools.
The ranking for 2-year colleges was created using data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, and considered factors such as quality, affordability, flexibility, and program.
“Irvine Valley College is committed to ensuring our students can pursue their educational goals as efficiently as possible,” said President Glenn Roquemore. “Offering a wide variety of online, hybrid and on-campus classes ensures that students have the flexibility to complete their education in...

On Oct. 13, Greater Irvine Chamber member Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF) hosted its 9th Annual Spirit of Excellence Gala at KIA Motors America. With over 300 guests in attendance, including a mix of civic and business leaders as well as individual community members, the event raised more than $770,000. Funds raised will help fund critical programs and classroom support for Irvine Unified School District (IUSD).
The evening also celebrated the accomplishments of three individuals whose education in Irvine set the stage for their future success. Honorees each received the Spirit of Excellence Award in their respective fields, in recognition of...

Greater Irvine Chamber member MacKenzie Corporation, a full-service data analytics and market research company, announced that its game-changing data visualization tool Atlas-Explorer is available for public licensing.
After years of privatized use, this powerful yet easy-to-use program can be customized for your brand, your industry, and your unique corporate structure. The program synthesizes various sources of data into one location, converting the flood of data into a consumable, visually dynamic format that provides the information needed to understand your market and maximize your sales efficiency. According to MacKenzie Corp leadership, the Atlas Explorer program has far exceeded their already lofty internal...

In response to the growing risk of wildfires in Southern California, Greater Irvine Chamber Leaders Circle member Southern California Edison (SCE) is taking action to address wildfire prevention, response, and liability, and is committed to working with state leaders on practical policy solutions to more effectively address these issues.
Senate Bill 901 (SB 901) was signed recently into law. While this legislation is a step forward, SCE believes that more work still needs to be done to address wildfire prevention, response, and liability, and remains committed to working with state leaders on practical policy solutions to more effectively address these issues.
SCE...

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on May 21, presented Greater Irvine Chamber with the President’s “E” Award for Export Service at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. The President’s “E” Award is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.
“The Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. The “E” Awards Committee was very impressed with the Chamber’s creation of an International Development Committee. The Chamber’s development of a series of trade opportunities between companies and organizations in Orange County, California and potential buyers and officials...